As a regular YouTube Premium subscriber in India, I was surprised when I saw news about a sudden price increase across all Plans. After enjoying ad-free streaming, background play, and offline downloads experience for a reasonable fee, the recent hike felt like a hard blow.
Yes, Google has finally decided to increase the price of the Premium subscription across all plans in India. The individual plan I had been using went up from ₹129 per month to ₹149. The same goes for the family and student monthly plans. Here are the new prices for each plan.
YouTube Premium Price Hike: New Pricing
| Plan | Old Price (In Rs.) | New Price (In Rs.) | Increase (In Rs.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student (Monthly) | 79 | 89 | 10 |
| Individual (Monthly) | 129 | 149 | 20 |
| Family (Monthly) | 189 | 299 | 110 |
| Individual (Prepaid – Monthly) | 139 | 159 | 20 |
| Individual (Prepaid – Quarterly) | 399 | 459 | 60 |
| Individual (Prepaid – Annual) | 1290 | 1490 | 200 |
In a statement about the price increase, the YouTube team said, “We realize this is hard for you and want to stress how we don’t make these decisions lightly. This new price allows us to develop even more Premium features while supporting creators & artists you watch on YouTube.”
@singhalrishi27 we realize this is hard for you and want to stress how we don’t make these decisions lightly. this new price allows us to develop even more Premium features while supporting creators & artists you watch
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) August 27, 2024
If you are an existing YouTube Premium user, you will get an email soon asking you to agree to accept the new price. If you don’t agree, your subscription will be cancelled.
From my point of view, this move seems to be a part of a larger global trend. YouTube has been increasing its Premium prices in several other countries, reflecting the growing costs of content production and licensing.
The platform has also been investing heavily in original content and improving user experience, which could justify the hike to some extent.
What are your thoughts on the YouTube Premium price hike in India? Let us know in the comments below.
